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A lot of sex education focuses on teaching people how and when to say “no” to sex. They’re told they should say no: Until they’re married Because they’re too young When they’re not in love If they’re having sex for the wrong reasons Whenever anyone is putting pressure on them to say yes However, sex educators rarely tell people when they should be saying “yes” to sex, or even mention that saying yes to sex is something they can choose […]

Many people have no idea how important making smart choices about lubricant can be when they’re trying to have safe, healthy sex. Lubricant is particularly important for people who are using condoms, gloves, or other barriers during their sexual activities. Latex on skin creates more friction than skin on skin, and without a proper lubricant, that can get uncomfortable – particularly for the receptive partner. Lube makes sex more fun. It also makes sex less painful, and possibly less risky. […]

The FC2 Female Condom isn’t as popular in the U.S. as it is in other parts of the world for making intercourse safer. At first glance, the female condom can be somewhat off-putting. You might wonder why you’d opt for a device that looks sort of like a plastic bag with a ring on each end when you could use a more form-fitting male condom instead. Price can also be a deterrent because female condoms are more expensive than male […]

People assume that they’d know if their partner had an STD. They think that there would be signs. They’d be able to see sores or discharge. Their partner would smell different. Sometimes, that’s true. However, most of the time it isn’t. The vast majority of STDs are asymptomatic. That means they have no noticeable symptoms, and the only way you can know if a potential partner is infected is to ask. Scientists estimate that: Three quarters of all women with […]

I think that this is the question that I hear most often, particularly from young people in their college years. However, I’ve also been asked about the relationship between genital herpes and oral sex by older people, married people… and even doctors! A lot of people have no idea that… 1. Cold sores are caused by a herpes virus 2. Unprotected oral sex can lead to transmission of that “oral” herpes virus to the genitals 3. This can happen even […]

Hello! I’m Dr. Elizabeth Boskey, and I’m going to be writing a series of sexual health blog posts for Spread the Health each month. They’ll be called “How did I not know that…” and I’ll be talking about sexual health issues that people think they know about, but don’t. However, this month I’ve decided to start by introducing myself. I’m an AASECT certified sexuality educator and certified health education specialist who has been involved in sex education for over two […]